Talking-machine



E. M. HOWARD. TALKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24, r919.

Patented Mar. 23, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

fEMjMET'I MILLS HOWARD, 03E HIGH" POINT; NORTH GAROIJINA, ASS IGNOR T0 EJEOT-O FILE COMPANY, OF HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA, A CORPORATION OF NORTH CAROLINA.

TALKING-MACHINE.

Specificat n of L tt r l en Patented Mar. 23,1?)20.

Application filed April 24, 1919.. SeriaINot 292,271.

In the manufacture of phonographs or talking machines of the types commonly in vogue or upon the market, it has hereto-i fore generally been the practice to attach the rear or enlargedend of the tone arm to a relatively fixed .or immovable plate or board within the top of the talkingmachine cabinet, the motor being. in some instances attached to the bottom of the motor board or partition, the latter being generally secured imposition by screws so that it nepessitatesunscrewing said screws in said partitioning board, which carries the motor he- :tore the latter and its adjuncts are acces necessary to.

sible, it being also generall swing the tone arm to one side into its extreme position, before attempting to lift or remove the motor board or to get access to said motor.

This proceduretakessome little time and the interior ofthe talking, machine and the motor is therefore practically inaccessible,

particularly, when itis desired to, oil the motor or to obtain accesslto the uppeuinter-J .rior portion of the talking machine cabinet in order to enable a salesman to explain the internal constructimt thereol. a a

All theforegoing objections are obviated by my present invention, wherein I. provide an upper, bottom, partitioning tray, the

bottom of said tray having thetalkingma chine motor secured thereto, while theupper rear portion of said tray has the beset or coupling of the tone arm secured thereto,

said partition board, or tray, being it de' sired, hinged to the front of the cabinet,lso that the tray, motor, spindle, turn table and tone arm can be lifted or tilted upwardly,

as a unit, whereupon the motor is readily accessible toan inexperienced person for oil.- .ing or inspection and the constuuction of the horn andv the connection intermediate the tone arm and horn can be readily seen and the construction: explained by a salesman to a prospective: customer.

My invention further consists. of. a novel n tructifln of a: tray comprising a horien l b tt m parti i n a rental acetate sidewalls and an inclined rear wall, which latter is adapted to abut agalust the rear of. the cabinet, said front vertical wall of the tray being if desired hinged or otherwise secured interiorly to the front of the cabinet, so that said tray, motor, spindle, turn table and tone arm can be lifted or tilted upwardly in unison as a unit, when desired.

To the above ends, my invention consists of a novel construction of talking machine and its adjuncts, as

will behereinafter fully set forth. 1

For thepurpose of illustratingmy invention, I haveshown in the accompanying drawings embodiments which are at present preferred by me, since the same in practice will be found to give satisfactory and reli able results, although it is tobemndcrstood that the various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously aranged and organized and that my invention is. not limitedto the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a perspective View of aphonograph or talking machine embodying my invention, showing the top of the tray and its adjuncts.

Fig. 2 represents aperspective View of the tray in detached position with the motor, tionei armand their adjuncts removed there- Fig. 3 represents a section on line 53-43.

a ia. 1. V a

Fig. 4: represents a sectional view similar to Fig. 3 but showing the tray, motor. motor spindle, turn table tone arm and their adjuncts in tiltedposition for the purpose (at enabling access to the interior.

Fig. 5 represents a perspective view 0t cabinet, one or two hinges being employed,

or screws 34 passing through the sides 10 may be employed.

16 designatesa tone arm of any suitable or conventional type, the same havinga coupling 18 of the usual character, which is secured to the bottom3 of the tray by suitable fastening devices as 19, said coupling 18 alining with a hole '20 extending through the bottom of the tray at its rear, said hole alining with the'inlet opening 21 of the concealed horn 22, said horn and its inlet opening being positioned with res ect to the tone arm 16 if desired by means 0 the depending sleeve 23'or its equivalent secured to sai bottom which may be employed if desired.

The horn 22 is disconnected from the sides,' bottom or other portion of the cabinet being preferably supported above the partition 24 or thelike byineans of a transverse bar or screws 36 or a cradle 25 or its equivalent, thenpper end of said cradle being secured to or supporting the horn body in any suitable manner and the base of said cradle 25 resting upon or being secured to said partition 24, the soundsproduced being discharged through a suitable grating 26in the front of the cabinet 1. In

7 addition to the holes 6'for the spindle 5 and thehole 20 alining with the tone arm which extend through the base or bottom 3 of the tray, I provide the additional-small holes 27, 28 and 29 for the reception of the needle cups. v

The cabinet may be provided with a top or cover of any usual or conventional type.

The parts normally appear as seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the position of the tray and its adjuncts being assured with respect to the horn 22 by reason of the contact of the vertical walls 9 and 10 with the front and sides of the upper portion of the cabinet body, Whereby the tray is at once positioned, when it is dropped'in place, it being apparent that the rear inclined wall 11 readily assumes its proper position with respect to the rear wall of thetop of. the cabinet when the tray is down or in'its normal'position, the weight of the tray and its adjuncts causing them to settle down into their proper position, so that a record can be readily, played, as is evident. When it is desired for any reason to obtain access to the interior of the top of the cabinet to inspect or oil the motor or to explain the internal construction for selling, demonstrating or other purposes, it is only necessary to remove the screws 34.- lift the tray 2 upon its hinges into the position seen in Fig. 4, whereupon the tray, motor, spindle, turn table and tone arm are lifted or tilted as a unit, the tone arm being prevented from swinging by any suitable support or locking device not shown, if desired.

WVhen the tray and its adjuncts are elevated or tilted into the position shown in Fig. 4, it will be evident that the motor can be readily inspected for the purposes of oiling or repair and it will be further apparent that by my novel construction the interior of the top of the cabinet is readily accessible. hen the tray 2 is in its normal or lowest position it is held accurately in fixed position by the hinges or screws 34 and the contact of the vertical front and side walls with the contiguous portions of the talking machine cabinet. y the provision of the rear inclined wall 11 the tray and its adjuncts can be readily lifted into the position seen in Fig. 4.

My invention facilitates and reduces the cost .of manufacture for the reason that the trays 2 can be made in quantities and the motor and its adjuncts and the tone arm and its adjuncts readily secured thereto, whereupon said tray, tone arm, motor and their adjuncts can be handled, shipped or assembled as a unit, thereby enabling the woodwork or cabinet work in connection with the apparatus, comprising the cabinet body 1 and horn .22 to be manufactured at a diiferent point from the tray and its adjuncts. if desired, so that these parts can be shipped to a common destination and there assembled thereby reducing the cost of manufacturing andassembling devices of this character.

- So far as'I am aware, I am the first in the art to provide an upper, bottom partitioning device, plate or tray of this character wherein said motor and its adjuncts and the tone arm and its adjuncts are secured thereto, so that these elements can be lifted, shipped, transported or handled as a unit,

and my claims to these features are to be interpreted with the scope accorded to inventions of this character.

"I have deemed it unnecessary to describe in detail the construction of the motor or the precise manner of securing the same in position, as any conventional type of motor can beemployed and the same can be secured to the bottom of the partitioning member 3 in any desired manner.

I have also deemed it unnecessary to describe Y in detail the manner of mounting and securing the horn 22 in position, it being understood that in accordance with my invention said horn may be mounted in the cabinet 1 on the bar 35 so as to permit exllll'l llll traneous vibration thereof, the troughshaped portion of the cradle 25 being lined. with felt if desired. I may, however, mount my concealed horn rigidly or removably Within the cabinet, if desired, since this is a common right and open to the public and is public property and I, therefore, do not desire to be limited to any specific means for securingmy cisoncealed horn in position. If desired, the sleeve 23 can be omitted and in lieu thereof a fiat gasket or annular ring of rubber, leather, metal or other suitable material. employed. Any conventional. type of tone arm may be employed but I preferably use one with an adjustable sound box adapted for the playing of hill and dale or laterally undulating grooved records. If desired, I may employ a valve 232 in the horn 22 for regulating the volume of the sound and I may also equip the lower j 'iortion of the cabinet with record holding conu'iartments having the partitions 30 and ejector levers 31 therefor. I may also pro vide the bottom of the horn 22 with the steps 33 to prevent the horn from shifting with respect to the cradle 25.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction of a talking machine which embodies the features of ach antage enumerated as desi able in the statement of the invention and the above description, and While I have, in the present instance, shown and described preferred embodiments thereof which will give n practice satisfactory and reliable results,

it is to be understood that the same are sus- 1. The combinatlon of a talking; machine cabinet having an upper open end, and a tray secured therein having vertical front and side walls, a rear wall and a bottom, the latter having front and rear holes therein for a motor spindle and tone arm, said walls being adapted to fit within and coact with the upper portion of said cabinet to position said tray therein.

The cmnbination of a talking machine cabinet having an. upper open end, and a tray secured therein and provided with vertical front and side walls, an inclined rear wall and a bottom, the latter having front and rear holes therein, for a motor spindle and tone arm, said inclined rear wall servingto position said tray when assembled, withiiti the top of said cabinet.

3. As an. improved article of manufacture, a tray for a talking machine cabinet adapted to fit the upper portion thereof, and having front and side vertical walls, an inclined rear wall, and a bottom having front and rear holes therein for a motor spindle and tone arm.

Eh lll ll l T'l WILLS HOWARD. \Vitnesses i M. (l. GnowsoN, BASIL H. HnoeEoooK. 

